Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers have uncovered an alleged operation involving the relabelling of expired food products and the storage of suspected stolen municipal infrastructure during a high-impact service delivery operation in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD).

The discovery was made while JMPD officers were conducting operations in the inner City and observed individuals selling goods from informal trolleys. When officers approached the vendors to check compliance with municipal bylaws and verify their immigration status, the suspects allegedly abandoned their goods and fled on foot.

Police pursued the individuals to a building at the corner of Edith Cavell and Plein Streets, where a search of the premises revealed what authorities described as a large-scale counterfeit packaging operation.

Inside the building, officers found large quantities of expired perishable products, including juices and yoghurts. Preliminary investigations indicate that individuals on the premises were allegedly using chemical thinners to remove original expiry dates from product packaging before replacing them with fraudulent labels showing extended expiry dates.

Officers also discovered cut electrical cables believed to be stolen municipal infrastructure. Authorities say the seizure highlights the ongoing challenge of infrastructure theft, which continues to contribute to power disruptions and service delivery challenges across the City.

The expired food products and suspected stolen cables were confiscated, and an investigation is underway to identify and locate those responsible. No arrests had been made at the time of publication.

JMPD Chief of Police, Commissioner Patrick Jaca, visited the scene following the discovery and condemned the alleged activities.

“What we uncovered today is not just a violation of municipal bylaws, but a direct and dangerous assault on the health and safety of our residents,” said Jaca.

He said the alleged practice of altering expiry dates on food products demonstrated a disregard for consumer safety.

“Selling expired food by maliciously altering dates shows a complete disregard for human life. Furthermore, finding suspected stolen electrical cables on the same premises underscores how these illicit networks damage our city’s infrastructure.”

Jaca said the JMPD would intensify its high-impact operations and continue targeting criminal activity in the inner City.

“We are intensifying our high-impact operations, and we will not hesitate to clamp down on those who exploit our inner City for criminal gains.”